บท 62: The System
The monster roared, sending a blast of hot air over John. John was stunned, his mind racing to comprehend what he was seeing.
The monster lunged forward, its jaws snapping shut inches away from his face. John stumbled back, his heart pounding with adrenaline.
He reached for his Venomlash and unsheathed it. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves.
"Let's do this, big boy," he muttered.
The monster charged towards him, its claws slashing through the air. John dodged and rolled, avoiding the attack. The monster was fast, and it was strong.
John swung his Venomlash, striking the monster's leg. The blade cut deep, but it didn't slow the monster down. John rolled to the side, avoiding another swipe of its claws. He was quick on his feet, but the monster was quicker.
"I need to get the drop on this thing," John muttered.
As the monster lunged for him, he dodged to the side and struck it with his blade, cutting a deep gash in its side. The monster roared, but it felt no pain. John clenched his jaw and used his Appraisal skill on the monster.
[Skullmaw]
[Strength: 62]
[Vitality: 62]
[Agility: 61]
[Energy: 60]
"Fuck me," John muttered.
How could he possibly kill this beast?
As he pondered his next move, the Skullmaw charged at him, its jaws open wide.
John dodged to the side, but the monster's claw struck his arm, sending a jolt of pain through his body.
"Fuck!" he shouted, clutching his bleeding arm.
The Skullmaw turned to face him, its eyes burning with fury.
"I can't die here," John thought.
Gripping his Venomlash tightly, he knew escape was his only option against this monstrous foe. Dodging and weaving through its attacks, John barely managed to evade the Skullmaw's deadly claws. His heart pounded in his chest as he fled, the heavy footsteps of the beast echoing behind him.
Looking over his shoulder, he saw the creature gaining on him quickly. With a gasp of desperation, John darted towards the city centre. He thought he could lose the Skullmaw amongst the tall buildings, or what's left of them.
Panting heavily, he reached backwards with his hands and propelled himself with his Shockwave skill. The force of the blast sent him flying forward, his feet leaving the ground, his body sailing through the air.
For a moment, he was free - soaring above the city like a bird. But the joy was short-lived, as his momentum soon came crashing down to earth, landing hard on a rooftop.
Pain seared through his body, but John ignored it, forcing himself to stand up and keep running. He knew that if he stopped, he was dead.
The Skullmaw grew ever closer, its massive form filling the narrowing gap between buildings. With a last-ditch effort, John summoned all his remaining strength and launched himself into another Shockwave jump, praying it would be enough to finally shake off their pursuer.
The force of the blast sent him flying forward, his body arching through the air before crashing down onto a pile of rubble. Pain shot through every muscle and bone in his body as he struggled to push himself up off the ground.
Looking over his shoulder, John's heart sank as he saw the Skullmaw closing in on him once again. Its eyes were fixed on its prey, its massive claws clacking together menacingly. The stench of decay and burning scales was overwhelming now, making it hard for John to breathe.
With one final desperate leap, John jumped to his feet and used the last of his energy to propel himself one last time. As the building's crumbling facade loomed ahead, John braced for impact and closed his eyes.
In a burst of speed, he leapt off the roof, sailing through the air towards the alleyway below.
"No!" John yelled, his body smashing against the unforgiving concrete, sending waves of agony through his battered frame.
"Fuck, I can't move," he thought.
Lying motionless on the ground, John could hear the Skullmaw's heavy footsteps drawing near, its shadow looming over him like a harbinger of death.
"It's the end," John thought. "This is how I die, it seems."
A wave of regret crashed over him as his life flashed before his eyes. The pain was unbearable and he did not fear death, but he still had things to do. John gritted his teeth and tried to move, but it was no use.
The Skullmaw's putrid breath washed over him as it stood over its prey, its massive maw opening wide to devour the helpless man before him.
"How pathetic," he thought.
John squeezed his eyes shut and steeled himself for the impending agony. His mind filled with bitter resentment - at the world for putting him in this situation, and at himself for being powerless to change his fate. As he braced for impact, all he could think was that his life had amounted to nothing more than a pathetic snack for a monstrous beast.
The monster's jaws snapped shut, and John's life faded to black.
...
When John opened his eyes, he found himself surrounded by darkness.
He blinked a few times, trying to get his bearings, but there was nothing.
"Where am I?" he wondered.
As he struggled to remember what had happened, his memories started flooding back to him.
A bright light appeared before him.
He covered his eyes, blinded by the sudden flash.
"Hello, John," the voice said.
"Who are you?"
"I am the system, and you are John Sarack."
"System? What do you mean?"
"You are in the System Space."
"Where is this? Where is the Skullmaw?"
"The System Space is a separate dimension created by the system. It exists parallel to the real world."
"That doesn't make sense," John said.
"Do not worry about it, it is just how the system works."
"So, why am I here? Am I dead?"
"No, you are not dead. You are still alive, but your physical body is currently being healed by the system. You were close to death, but the system saved you. You should be grateful."
"Fuck off," John said. "What the hell happened to me?"
"You were killed by a Skullmaw. A level 250 monster."
"That fucking thing was 250? And what the hell is a Skullmaw? I've never seen anything like it."
"The Skullmaw is an artificial monster..." The System paused, "created by someone."
"By who?"
The System did not reply, but a figure emerged from the light. He was pale and white-haired, a black cloak hiding an arsenal of knives and daggers. His eyes cut through John like blades, gleaming with wicked smarts and spite. He had a smooth and smug voice, as if he owned the world. He smirked at John like a cat playing with a mouse, amused by his own twisted creations.
"It was created by me," the man said.
"You," John snarled.
"Yes, me," the man replied.
"Why did you create that thing?"
"Because it was fun," the man said.
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